01/09/2026
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๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐๐ด๐ณ๐ข๐ฆ๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ช๐ด๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฐ
There are journeys we plan.
There are journeys we endure.
And there are journeys that, when we finally look back, leave us with only one conclusion: The Lord went before us.
Our journey to Oriental Mindoro for the Shofar Seminar on August 29, 2026 became one of those journeys. From the very beginning, the circumstances were uncertain. We left Tarlac in the early morning while PAGASA was monitoring a red rainfall warning, knowing that heavy rain and difficult road conditions could affect our travel.
Humanly speaking, there were enough reasons to hesitate. Yet we prayed. We inquired of the Lord. And we went. Not because we were confident in our own ability, but because we have learned that the most important question is not, โWill the road be easy?โ
The question is: โIs the Lord leading us?โ That has increasingly become the cry of Bless Israel Team.
โIf Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.โ (Exodus 33:15)
And somehow, along the way, the Lord reminded us again that He is not limited by the circumstances surrounding the assignment.
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As we traveled from Tarlac toward Batangas, we experienced remarkably favorable conditions compared with what we had anticipated. The skies became clear. There was no massive rainfall along our route.
We reached Batangas without experiencing the kind of severe rain that the warning had led us to prepare for. Even on the sea crossing toward Oriental Mindoro, we experienced only some drizzle, and the passage was generally safe and calm.
We did not take those moments for granted. We received them with thanksgiving. Yet the Lord would remind us that favorable conditions are not the measure of His presence.
Because the journey ahead would teach us something deeper.
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On August 29, the day of the Shofar Seminar, the rain poured. Only a few people came. From a purely numerical perspective, it would have been easy to call the gathering small or even disappointing. But perhaps this is where the Lord was answering the very prayer we had prayed.
We had asked Him to send the right people. Not simply a crowd. Not merely a large attendance. But people who would truly listen to His Word, understand the call, and respond with obedience.
Sis. Genelyn and Sis. Ana had prayed in that same spirit. And as the rain continued to fall, Sis. Meriane shared an image that deeply resonated with us: The rain was watering the seeds being sown in the beautiful land of Oriental Mindoro.
We cannot claim to know with certainty everything God was doing through the weather that day. But we can testify to what we witnessed. People still came. They listened. They engaged. And the gathering became less about numbers and more about hunger.
There are seasons when God gathers the multitudes. There are also moments when He draws aside those who are willing to press through inconvenience simply to hear His Word. That day, the rain seemed to make the cost of coming more visible. And in that setting, the thought of sifting became very real to us.
Not everyone will respond.
Not everyone will come.
Not everyone will understand.
But those who hunger for the truth will find a way to hear it.
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As we shared the message, our burden remained clear: It is not the instrument that has power. The shofar is not a magical object. The sound itself is not a formula. Our faith is not in an instrument, a vibration, or a ritual.
Our faith is in the living God.
What gives meaning to the sound is the heart of the worshiper who stands before God in surrender. Scripture calls us to become a living sacrifice: โPresent your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.โ (Romans 12:1) The shofar must never become the center. Jesus must remain the center.
The sound should point us back to the One whose voice calls His people to repentance, worship, holiness, remembrance, obedience, and covenant faithfulness. And this is why we believe the Shofar Seminar ministry is more than an event. It is part of a larger burden to see the altar of worship restored in the life of God's people.
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As Watchmen and prayer warriors, we have increasingly recognized that these ministry journeys can involve warfare on both physical and spiritual fronts.
There have been difficult roads.
There have been logistical challenges.
There have been teachings and practices that we have had to carefully examine against Scripture.
There have been moments when opposition appeared in ways that were impossible to ignore.
But our response must never be fear.
It must be truth.
It must be prayer.
It must be worship.
It must be Scripture.
And it must be Jesus.
Three years ago, when we went to Bataan, we faced extraordinary travel difficulties, including deep flooding, dangerous conditions, declarations of death and danger, and logistical challenges that seemed beyond what we could manage.
Yet we went.
The Word was proclaimed.
The assignment was carried out.
And now, years later, we found ourselves in another province, facing another set of circumstances.
This time, it was Oriental Mindoro.
Again, the roads were difficult.
Again, the weather was uncertain.
Again, the assignment carried a cost.
And again, we were reminded that obedience is not always comfortable.
Sometimes obedience comes through rain.
Sometimes it comes through uncertainty.
Sometimes it comes when everything around you seems to whisper, โTurn back.โ
Yet faith answers,
โIf He has sent us, we will go.โ
The Mindoro gathering became, for us, a reminder that the sound of covenant can confront darkness, not because the instrument possesses supernatural power, but because God remains faithful to His Word and His covenant.
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A day after the seminar, the sun showed its face. We were thankful. We wanted to reach Batangas early so we could travel while there was still daylight and continue our long journey home. The clearer skies gave us hope that the return trip might be easier.
But then we learned another lesson:
Clear skies do not promise a smooth sail.
As we crossed the sea toward Batangas, the winds became stronger. The waves struck against our vessel. There were moments when the movement of the sea became genuinely frightening.
The sky above was brighter, but the waters below were unsettled. And in those moments, we were reminded again that there are circumstances we simply cannot control.
We can prepare for roads.
We can take detours.
We can calculate routes.
But on the open sea, there are moments when all we can do is trust the One who is sovereign over it.
And so we said:
Jesus reigns over the seas.
The wind was real.
The waves were real.
The fear was real.
But so was His faithfulness.
We do not claim that the sea became miraculously calm. It did not. But despite the fearful conditions, we arrived safely in Batangas. And that alone became another reason to praise God.
The disciples once asked:
โWho then is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?โ
โ Matthew 8:27
We know the answer. Jesus.
He is Lord over the land.
He is Lord over the roads.
He is Lord over the rain.
He is Lord over the wind.
And He is Lord over the seas.
His presence does not always mean that the storm disappears. Sometimes His presence means that we are carried through the storm without being overcome by it.
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Reaching Batangas did not mean the journey was over. The road home brought another series of challenges. Flooding affected major routes. The situation on NLEX made the original route difficult, so we had to adjust and take the Sta. Rita route.
There were detours.
There were turns.
There were flooded areas.
And there were already reports of damaged infrastructure, including two major bridges in our home area that had collapsed because of excessive rains.
Then came Bulacan. Heavy traffic added another layer of difficulty. Then Gapan, Nueva Ecija, brought more congestion and delay. What might normally have been a manageable journey stretched into an exhausting one.
By the time the entire journey was complete, we had endured approximately 12 hours of travel, navigating changing routes, flooding, heavy traffic, detours, and the physical exhaustion that came with a long overnight and early-morning drive.
There were many points when it would have been understandable to become discouraged. Yet the testimony remained: God was with us.
Not because the route was easy.
Not because every road opened before us.
But because He gave wisdom for every turn.
He gave strength for every mile.
He gave people to pray.
He gave endurance when our bodies were tired.
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We especially thank God for Bro. Maui, who carried an enormous responsibility throughout that return journey. After a restless night and an exhausting early-morning departure, he navigated through the difficult conditions, changing routes, flooding, traffic, and detours, and continued until the team was safely home.
That kind of strength should never be taken for granted. We give thanks to God for sustaining him.
We also honor Pastor Ephi and Pastor Joshua, who faithfully worked behind the scenes, covering the team in prayer as we traveled to Mindoro and as we made our way home.
Their ministry may not have been visible on the road, but intercession rarely is. There are people who stand in front and speak. There are people who travel. And there are people who kneel in secret and contend in prayer.
All of them are part of the assignment.
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There was another layer to this journey that made the timing especially significant. We are currently in the middle of our 40-day prayer and fasting journey.
Sis. Genecel had already wondered beforehand whether such a long journey would become physically and mentally challenging during this season of fasting. And yet, as we looked back on the trip, we found ourselves testifying together about how God had ordered the timing.
He knew the journey before we did.
He knew the weather before we did.
He knew the flooding before we did.
He knew the traffic before we did.
He knew the condition of the bridges before we did.
He knew the sea before we crossed it.
And still, He led us forward.
There was no promise of convenience.
There was no guarantee of a trouble-free journey.
There was simply the assurance that we must seek Him for every step.
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As a team, we began to testify to one another about what we had experienced. The journey was difficult. But there were also unmistakable moments of grace.
Clear skies when we expected heavy rain.
A safe passage through the sea despite fearful winds and waves.
People coming to the seminar despite the downpour.
A message reaching those whom God had gathered.
Strength for the long journey home.
Alternative routes when familiar roads became impassable.
People praying behind the scenes.
And, after approximately 12 hours of travel, we finally arrived home.
We do not need to exaggerate any of these things to make the testimony powerful. The truth is powerful enough.
God sustained us.
And that is our praise report.
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Perhaps that is the clearest lesson from this journey.
We were not promised perfect weather.
We were not promised empty roads.
We were not promised calm seas.
We were not promised intact bridges.
We were not promised a large crowd.
We were not promised an easy assignment.
But we had something far greater:
His presence.
And Moses understood that this was the one thing that mattered.
โIf Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.โ (Exodus 33:15)
That must remain our posture as Bless Israel Team.
Presence before platform.
Obedience before numbers.
Covenant before performance.
Scripture before tradition.
Worship before spectacle.
Jesus above everything.
We do not go because we think we are capable. We go because He sends. We do not move because the circumstances are favorable. We move because we have sought His direction. We do not boast because every road was easy. We boast because His grace carried us through the difficult ones.
And from Tarlac to Batangas, across the sea to Oriental Mindoro, through the rain and through the sunshine, through the seminar and through the storms, through flooded roads, broken bridges, heavy traffic in Bulacan and Gapan, countless detours, and an exhausting 12-hour journey home, the Lord was faithful.
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We look at Oriental Mindoro not simply as a trip completed, but as an assignment entrusted to us. Seeds were sown. The Word was proclaimed. Hearts were stirred. The altar of worship was pointed back toward Jesus. And perhaps, in ways we cannot yet see, the rain that fell that day will one day reveal what God was doing beneath the surface.
We leave the harvest in His hands. Our responsibility is to remain faithful. To remain watchful. To remain surrendered. To keep sounding the call according to His Word. And above all, to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
โNot to us, LORD, not to us,
But to Your name give glory
Because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.โ
(Psalm 115:1)
So this is our testimony:
The road was difficult, but He was faithful.
The sea was frightening, but He was Lord.
The attendance was small, but the seed was sown.
The journey was long, but grace was sufficient.
The obstacles were real, but God remained sovereign.
We went because He led us.
We stayed because He sustained us.
We returned because He carried us.
And now we declare with grateful hearts:
Jesus reigns.
Over the roads.
Over the rain.
Over the wind.
Over the seas.
Over the assignment.
And over us.
TO GOD ALONE BE ALL THE GLORY.
Shalom,
Bro. Nelmar
